Detachable crotch girdle



1937- E. H. MILLER, JR.. El Al. 2,070,515

DETACHABLE CROTCH GIRDLE Filed Dec. 28, 1935 23 sow/mo H. Mlusg m w/mo'L, CROSBY 6 24- HG g im ATTORNEY.

WILL/HM o. SCH WEE/V INVENTORS.

Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward Henry Miller, Jr., William Dewey Schween, and Ward Lawren Crosby, Canandaigua, N. Y., assignors to Miller Corsets, Inc., Canandaigua, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 28, 1935, Serial No. 56,428

4 Claims.

This invention relates to novel improvements in a corsetlike garment and more particularly pertains to a two-way stretchable body girdle or the like female step-in under-clothing equipped with a unitary detachable crotch piece. Such inherently elastic girdles are generally fabricated from heavy machine knitted cloth having resilient filler strands woven therein. A composite product of this kind is somewhat difficult to wash properly and when laundered frequently, is likely to suffer serious deterioration. After prolonged use, said girdle tends to become unsanitary especially in its crotch region. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by omitting the separablecrotch piece but at a sacrifice of certain desirable qualities as a marketable commodity.

In order to remedy the cited objections, our embodiment permits the detachable crotch piece to be quickly and easily replaced by a fresh clean substitute piece, to the end that the entire girdle may be maintained in a sanitary condition without requiring the whole of such garment to be frequently laundered.

The present girdle is preferably so designed that its stretchable fabric may be continuously woven into a long tubular formation having a series of rubber or the like bands perimetrically incorporated therein in laterally spaced relation- 30 ship. Such texture may be reenforcingly ribbed longitudinally and woven to afford considerable stretch as taken axially crosswise in combination with more limited stretch axially lengthwise of the garment.

This woven tube may then be transversely severed into component lengths adapted to form a plurality of similar girdles, The opposed cut ends of each such tubular section are preferably hemmed to trim said edges but may also be woven to provide for a selvage finish. The lower transverse edge of each girdle may be doubly slitted axially inward, i. e. upwardly, for a comparatively short distance at both the front and rear center portions of said girdle to shape up a common crotch region that provides for a pair of interiorly slitted leg portiosn. The incised mated edges of each such leg slit are separately finished therealong by a continuous U-shaped non-stretchable tape having .a series of attached snap fastening elements spaced to cooperate with complementary elements carried by the detachable crotch piece. Said piece may without wastage be cut from a bolt of soft, closely woven fabric such as substantially non-stretchable silk, rayon, cotton or the like goods devoid of any elastic insertion and given a substantially parallelogram shape preferably having a hemmed margin therearound. Opposed reenforced edges of each such crotch piece are equipped with complementary fastening elements spaced to cooperate with the tape fasteners of the girdle proper. v

When attached, our non-stretchable crotch piece is loosely wrinkled and held in place and interposed between a pair of stretchable leg bands so as not to bear uncomfortably against the wearers body. In order to retain both slitted leg portions of the girdle snugly against the body as a form fitting garment, we separately inter connect the corresponding ends of each U-shaped reenforcing tape by one such elastic leg band, respectively disposed to constitute a pair of leg receiving loops. All of our band ends are fixedly sewn in place and the girdle adapted to be used in step-in fashion. These loops are each completed by an inturned lower edge component of our tubular girdle. Because of such leg hand, our girdle may be worn without the crotch piece and still retain its form fitting attributes without marked tendency to creep upwardly in use or revquiring any depending hose supports.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the present innovation comprises certain constructive features and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more specifically defined in connection with the accompanying one sheet of drawings, and in which:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational view of our girdle with its crotch piece placed in operative position.

Fig. 2 shows a corresponding view of this girdle removed from the body and collapsed flatwise for shipment purposes, the accompanying inserted crotch pieces being hidden from View.

Fig. 3 details the front crotch or lower end region of our garment with the crotch piece partially unfastened and the girdle leg portions spread apart, while Fig. 4 illustrates a bottom view thereof with the crotch piece fastened in place.

Fig. 5 depicts a plan view of the attachable crotch piece, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The numeral I0 designates the girdle in its entirety as made from heavy knitted material and having a series of closely spaced endless elastics such as H woven therein. The front and rear girdle configuration may be kept identical to comprise a plurality of thickened longitudinal fabric ribs such as I2 respectively having relatively thinner portions such as l3 interposed therebetween. As intimated, our weave design is preferably of that is non-stretchable the tubular kind in which several girdles may be continuously fabricated in chainlike fashion to a similar pattern and then severed along the upper transverse edge l4 and the lower transverse edge ii to constitute independent potential girdles. Each such inturned edge may be hemmed to prevent raveling. In the event our girdles should be independently fabricated, the edges It and I5 may be woven to provide for a selvage trim.

As shown, this girdle unit is of substantially uniform diametral size slightly contracted at the waistline, and may be laid fiatwise as in Fig. 2. The superimposed front and rear side walls of each such collapsed tubular section may then be centrally slit upwardly at it with respect to its lower edge i5 and axially lengthwise to provide for the girdle crotch region forming a pair of interiorly slitted leg portions such as 28. It is herein preferred to slit rather than out out a wide crotch indentation and thereby obviate the severing of numerous fabric strands running lengthwise of the girdle. The closely adjacent, mated edges of each leg slit may be reenforced by the use of a common, doubly folded finishing tape ll but pliant and may be given a U shape in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. Each outermost infolded tape face may be provided with a series of spaced apertures and have a female snap fastener element l8 bound beneath each such aperture. Fig. 6 details one mode for overhangingly attaching the finishing tape ll to the exterior face of the slit girdle fabric, there being a narrow binding braid i9 laid thereover as stitched at it.

In addition, we provide for a pair of elastic leg bands such as 2i having their respective fixedly attached ends suspended across the terminals of of each component of the doubly slitted lower edge i5 and serving to complete companion loops such as 22 shown in Fig. 4. These straps are respectively interconnected as a continuation of one such edge component. When our girdle is worn with or without the crotch piece, said bands serve to draw the otherwise loose fiap ends 25 of the slitted leg portions toward the body to make the entire garment form fitting without resort to hose supports.

The marginal edge of the inelastic crotch piece 23 may be hemmed, salvaged or otherwise reenforced and is preferably given a substantially rectangular configuration as in Fig. 5. Opposed edges thereof such as 26 and 2: are shown providedwith a plurality of distributed male snap fastener elements such as 2% and these are spaced apart to enter the mated elements it carried by the respective girdle finishing tapes ll. Fig. 4 schematically illustrates the several girdle'components assembled and ready for use, the intended mode of application being thought obvious to those skilled in this art without further ex-. planation. When in position, no metal portion of either the male or female snap fasteners is allowed to contact the wearer's body or overgarment. The crotch piece will naturally be soiled more quickly than the remainder of the girdle and which piece can then be readily detached so as to be freshly laundered without having to wash the whole of our garment.

When the undergarment is worn in position, our girdle is intended to be stretched over the body hips, which in turn spreads apart the slitted crotchinto an inverted V shaped opening and allows both leg bands to become operatively tensioned. The girdle is then kept neatly and snugly form fitting by the leg bands, although the crotch piece remains loosely wrinkled. This aspect is clarified by Fig. 4 where the respective leg bands 2| will become stretched when worn but not to such extent that will fully take up the slack in the respective transverse edges of our crotch piece which span the fastener equipped edges 26 and 21 thereof. A medial region of each such transverse edge is further interposed between said pair of leg bands and this relationship is maintained in service by opposed rows of snap fastener. elements. While both edges 26 and 21 are herein snapped to a girdle tape, the length between such edges is kept sumciently extended to provide for a comfortable, non-chafing crotch piece in either erected or seated position of a wearer. The loose flap ends 25 are at the same time drawn snugly to conform with the contiguous leg shape and this in turn obviates any flap protrusion that may otherwise tend to show through an overskirt.

It thus becomes possible to inexpensively provide a number of separate crotch pieces to accompany each girdle as sold in trade. When necessary, the girdle itself can also be laundered but without having to subject the same to excessive wear and tear because of too frequent washing, all of which lengthens the life of the girdle as a foundation garment.

It is to be understood that various changes may be resorted to in likewise carrying out our illustrative embodiments whether our girdle is independently woven with opposed top and bottom selvages or initially fabricated as tubular sections provided with equivalent hemmed ends, all without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention heretofore described and more particularly defined in the appended claims:

We claim:

i. A form fitting body girdle of elastic material provided with a lower selvage that is slitted upwardly at the front and rear thereof to constitute a girdle crotch region providing for a pair of slitted leg portions, a detachable crotch piece of inelastic material having opposed mar ginal edges and which piece is adapted to fit said slitted crotch, cooperative fastening means on said girdle and on said marginal edges of the crotch piece for attaching said crotch piece to the girdle, said fastening means including a separate inelastic tape secured along the mated edges of each such leg slit and which opposed marginal edges of the crotch piece when attached in place respectively form a continuation of slitted lower selvage components of the girdle, and a separate leg band suspended across the lower slit extremity of each such portion serving to retain the whole of said girdle in form fitting position, said bands being fixedly secured interiorly of their respective leg portions and having a medial region of said crotch piece interposed between said leg bands while the girdle is being worn.

2. A form fitting body girdle of elastic material provided with a hemmed lower and an upper edge of whihch the lower edge is alignedly slitted upwardly at the front and rear thereof to constitute a step in girdle crotch region provided with complementary interiorly slitted leg portions and which girdle material is reenforced with webs interposed lengthwise between said aligned slits, a separate inelastic but laterally pliant tape secured along the mated edges of each such leg slit, a unitary detachable crotch piece including opposed marginal edges, cooperative fastening elements respectively mounted on said tapesand on the opposed marginal edges of the crotch piece, said opposed marginal edges when fastened to the girdle respectively forming an offset continuation of the slitted lower edge components of the girdle, and a leg band fixedly attached to and suspended across the terminals of each such lower edge component to provide for a pair of loops serving to retain the slitted leg portions in form fitting position while the crotch piece remains loosely wrinkled, a medial region of said crotch piece being interposed and maintained between the leg bands while the guide is worn.

3. A form fitting body girdle of elastic material provided with an upper and a lower edge of which the lower edge is doubly slitted upwardly to constitute a step-in girdle crotch region provided with interiorly slitted leg portions of which the respective mated slit edges normally remain closely adjacent throughout their length when the girdle is removed from the body, a detachable crotch piece of substantially rectangular contour including opposed marginal edges, a series of cooperative fastening elements respectively distributed along said mated slit edges and on the opposed marginal edges of the crotch piece. and an elastic leg bandfixedly attached to and extending across the terminals of each component length of said lower edge to provide for a pair of loops, said elastic girdle when worn being stretched over the body hips to spread the. respective slitted leg portions into inverted V shape and thereby operatively tension the leg bands and which complementary bands have a medial region of the crotch piece interposed therebetween in retained relationship.

4. A form fitting body girdle of elastic material provided with a lower and upper edge of which the lower edge is alignedly slitted upwardly at the front and rear thereof to constitute a step-in girdle crotch region provided with complementary interiorly slitted leg portions, a unitary non-stretchable crotch piece of substantially rectangular contour including opposed marginal edges, a series of cooperative fastening elements respectively distributed along the mated edges of each such slitted leg portion and on said opposed marginal edges of the crotch piece, and an elastic leg band fixedly'attached to and suspended across the respective terminals of each slit lower edge component to constitute a pair of loops serving to retain the slitted leg portions in form fitting position, said bands being stretched when worn and the remaining marginal edges of the crotch piece respectively suspended across each of the aforesaid lower slit terminals in. interposed relation between said loops and which last named marginal edges remain slack with respect to the stretched leg bands.

EDWARD HENRY MILLER, J R. WILLIAM DEWEY SCHWEEN. WARD LAWREN CROSBY. 

